Clinically validated screening tools
Mental Health Self-Assessment
These are the same clinically validated screening tools used by our clinical team at SageMED. Complete an assessment before your appointment or anytime you want to check in on how you are feeling. Results are for informational purposes only and do not constitute a medical diagnosis.
These tools are for screening purposes only. Results should be shared with your SageMED provider for proper clinical interpretation and care.
PHQ-9 — Patient Health Questionnaire
Measures depression severity over the past two weeks. Recommended if you are experiencing low mood, loss of interest, hopelessness, or changes in sleep and appetite.
GAD-7 — Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
Measures anxiety severity over the past two weeks. Recommended if you are experiencing persistent worry, restlessness, or difficulty controlling anxious thoughts.
MADRS — Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating
A more detailed clinical depression assessment. Recommended for a comprehensive picture of depression severity and to track changes in symptoms over time.
Not sure which assessment to take? Ask your SageMED provider at your next appointment.
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About These Assessment Tools
The questionnaires on this page are clinically validated screening tools used by healthcare providers worldwide. They are not diagnostic instruments. They measure symptom severity and help identify when a professional evaluation is warranted.
PHQ-9 — Patient Health Questionnaire
The PHQ-9 was developed by Kroenke, Spitzer, and Williams (2001) as a subset of 9 questions from the full Patient Health Questionnaire. It has been validated in studies involving over 6,000 patients across primary care, psychiatric, prenatal, and specialty settings. At a cutoff score of 10 or above it demonstrates 88% sensitivity and 88% specificity for detecting major depressive disorder. A meta-analysis of 29 studies including 6,725 patients confirmed similar performance across diverse populations.
Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001. → View on PubMed
GAD-7 — Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
The GAD-7 was developed by Spitzer et al. (2006) and validated in a study of 2,740 primary care patients. It is the most widely used brief anxiety screening tool in primary care and psychiatric settings worldwide.
Spitzer RL, et al. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder. Arch Intern Med. 2006. → View on PubMed
MADRS — Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale
The MADRS was developed by Montgomery and Asberg (1979) and is widely used in clinical trials and specialist settings for measuring depression severity and treatment response. It provides a more detailed clinical picture than the PHQ-9 and is commonly used to track improvement during treatment.
Montgomery SA, Asberg M. A new depression scale designed to be sensitive to change. Br J Psychiatry. 1979. → View on PubMed
The PHQ-9, GAD-7, and MADRS are all in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission.
PHQ-9: Developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display, or distribute.
GAD-7: Developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Kurt Kroenke, Janet B.W. Williams, and colleagues. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display, or distribute.
MADRS: Developed by Stuart A. Montgomery and Marie Asberg. In the public domain for clinical and educational use.
These tools are provided for informational and educational purposes only. Results do not constitute a medical diagnosis and should not replace a clinical evaluation by a licensed healthcare professional.
If you are in crisis please call or text 988 — Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.